Himanta Biswa Sarma has alleged that the campus, located in Ri Bhoi district, was constructed by cutting trees and destroying hills triggering the floods
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – After alleging that the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), was indulging in “Flood Jihad” in Assam, the state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma now intends to restrict students graduating from the university from applying for state government jobs.
The chief minister’s assertion follows his earlier claims that the university, operated by an educational foundation owned by Mahbubul Hoque, a Bengali-origin Muslim from Assam’s Karimganj district, was responsible for the flash floods in Guwahati on August 5.
The USTM is a top 200 university under the Union Government’s National Institutional Ranking Framework.
Sarma alleged that the campus, located in Ri Bhoi district, was constructed by cutting trees and destroying hills, which he claims triggered the floods, media reports reaching here said on Thursday.
“Our students from Guwahati and Dibrugarh University are suffering because of this (USTM students applying for government posts in Assam),” a report in The Indian Express cited Sarma as saying.
“That’s why I have asked the legal department to examine this – that if students from USTM want a job in Assam, they will have to take another exam.”
He added: “Not just USTM but from West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, all outside universities. But my anger against USTM is a little more. Because they are throwing water at us.”
Sarma also informed that he was also holding a discussion with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma over concerns about rainwater run-off from Meghalaya contributing to Guwahati floods. “We have roped in a Netherlands committee to work on diverting the water to Deepor Beel (lake). Along with that, IIT Roorkee and IIT Guwahati will also be engaged… Mr Conrad Sangma has given importance to the matter of water coming down from Jorabat and has proposed a joint committee between the Assam and Meghalaya governments… He has also not denied… Even though many political leaders from Assam set out to defend USTM, the Meghalaya government is not saving USTM,” he was quoted as saying.